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Oklahoma Highway Patrol brawl: fired bully vs. ego?
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Shortly after I began writing about the case of Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Daniel Martin and his brawl with paramedic Maurice White, I've been aware that this wasn't the first brawl for Martin. Now, The Daily Oklahoman, with a full court press by a team investigation, proves those rumors--and uncovers more information about White as well as Martin.
It's well-known that a hair-trigger temper doesn't ignite only on one occasion. One of the big problems for professional law enforcement: finding and identifying officers with anger control problems and those who react large to small stress.
Enter Martin, who people in Fairfax, OK, call a bully after he was fired as their police chief. Ron Jackson and Sheila Stogswell report:
Longtime Fairfax barber shop owner Linda Bevill, who cut Martin’s hair, described him as a bullish man who ran off teenagers from cruising Main Street and constantly accused people of drinking alcohol during traffic stops.
"He struck me as a man who probably didn’t have any control over any part of his life growing up; someone who needed control and power,” Bevill said. "I remember he even went and bought one of those portable police lights for his own car. He just needed to play cop even when he was off-duty.”
Former board of trustees member Ted Smith remembered Martin as someone who "didn’t take orders very well.”
Smith recalled one incident he witnessed in which two handcuffed teenagers were lying face down on the sidewalk. Martin stood over one of the youngsters with his pistol aimed at the youth’s head.
"The boys were already handcuffed and on the ground,” Smith said. "Why pull the gun? ... Yeah, we had a lot of trouble with him. We’re not surprised at all by what has happened. He just had an attitude.
But White didn't get off without some troubling background information, including a racially-based complaint against an employer and a whiff of deep unpopularity with co-workers, according to NewsOK:
White, meanwhile, was fired in June 2004 by Muskogee County EMS after more than 11 years of employment. EMS director Terri Mortensen criticized White in a termination letter, citing his "unprofessional behavior” toward her and "misuse of authority over your subordinates.” The letter listed other reasons for his termination:
>Failure to complete run sheets in a timely manner.
>Short notice on cancellation of teaching assignment.
>Failure to schedule a relief EMT to cover his shift while he taught a class in a timely manner.
White responded by filing a complaint of racial discrimination with the NAACP, the Muskogee Phoenix newspaper reported at the time. The newspaper further reported the organization originally supported White’s cause but later reversed its decision. The NAACP reportedly reviewed the EMS policy and White’s termination letter, and concluded he had committed a fireable offense.
Forty of White’s former co-workers wrote a letter to the editor of the Muskogee Phoenix in support of White’s firing.
White had good references in other areas, while Martin's former boss in the Stillwater, OK police department refused comment. Although both have been shown to have prior employment problems, there's a vital difference here.
That difference is: Martin has a gun, a badge, and the full authority of the state of Oklahoma and the law. We've already seen him explode with profanity and a choke hold for the non-crime of allegedly giving him an obscene hand gesture--an incident that still is based only on Martin's disputed word.
There's also a vital question that the Oklahoma Highway Patrol must answer--were supervisors aware of Martin's prior firing? Were they aware of his reputation as a bully and his prior actions in Fairfax?
If they were, did they send him for additional psychological evaluation? If they knew of his past, why did they hire him, and invest taxpayer funds in his training? And if they didn't know--why didn't they?
The OHP, which has been stonewalling this case, is accountable. It's long since time for them to address this issue from a management standpoint and answer questions.
Unless, that is, they are willing to stand behind Martin and this episode, and have him stand as representative of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. I don't think that's fair to the other troopers who conduct themselves in a professional manner.
Note: my coverage of this now-infamous event was selected as a "Best of the Web" at Signs of the Times. Thank you.
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